


Kingdom of Aaledda: The Battle of Fire and Ice

by ThyBloodyHell



Category: Dragons - Fandom, kingdoms - Fandom
Genre: Dragons, Elves, Fantasy, Gen, Kingdoms, WIP, War, battles, fireandice, kingdom - Freeform, tribes, warriors - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-09
Updated: 2018-11-07
Packaged: 2019-05-04 07:50:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14588409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThyBloodyHell/pseuds/ThyBloodyHell
Summary: For centuries, the kingdom of Aaledda has been at war. Every day at sunrise we would train the young, hoping to transform them into brave warriors to defend the dynamic kingdom. Every passing year, the brawls have gotten worse, killing hundreds. We face many difficult, dangerous, and heartbreaking challenges each day. The battle between Fire and Ice are at rage. Many years ago we were the riders, but today, we are the great terrors of the skies, guarding and fighting for what we believe in. Fighting for our homes, for hope, believing in such faith that we so desperately hold on to. It may be all we have left. We live in the lands of the Fire. We live in the lands of the Ice. Each passing day we learn new things about our tribes’ past, its memories, its stories, its people, and its truth…





	1. Introduction: The Legend

***This is based off of an old role-playing site back in 2013-2014 that I created for my friends and I at the time. The characters in this story are not real people nor are based off real people. All characters, stories, etc are all fictitious. This story is NOT based off of any other fantasy related books, shows, etc (Ex: Narnia, LOTR, Game of Thrones, Skyrim, etc) however it is inspired by them but has no connection or correlations to those mentioned. Thank you and I hope you enjoy reading!*** 

 

The kingdom of Aaledda wasn’t always rotting away into despair. It was once full of peace, full of beautiful valleys, comforting forests, breathtaking meadows, sheer mountains, and calm deserts where dragons lived together in complete harmony… Almost. It was once ruled by a King and Queen which divided the dragons in half. They had a powerful yet smart organization they had put together to keep their people safe from any kind of danger. They were known as the fire descendants. And of course, every kingdom that has rulers always has their foes. For King and Queen Aaledda, theirs were known as the ice descendants. They were cruel, bitter, and cold, just like their alarming icy breath. Queen Bellatrix was the name of their leader. She was vile, cunning, manipulative and a very impatient woman. She wasn’t a Queen, nor had royalty in her bloodline, but she was queen to her people, and a greedy Queen at that. She hardly cared for her tribe although, other than the ones that meant the most to her like her squire, nobleman and second hand. She envied the fire queen for many years, for she was more beautiful, more caring than her. She owned and ruled the most magnificent kingdom in all the land and Queen Bellatrix wanted it all to herself. She also envied her lover; King of Aaledda himself. He was handsome, intelligent and a great ruler and she knew with someone like that by her side she could rule the world.  
She had been casted out for many years, however, thousands and thousands of miles away from the kingdom’s perimeter from her heinous acts. They made her stay way up in the icy snowcapped mountains. The king and queen thought it would suit her, seeming as her heart was just as cold. Queen Bellatrix attempted few ambushes on their land every once in a while, but she never did succeed, for her armies were smaller, and not as strong or will powered as the fire tribe. However, as stubborn as she was, she kept on fighting, hungry for power she continued to lose more of her warriors and nearly her dignity.  
Years went on until the king and queen were blessed with their first born son, Prince Adam Christopher Aaledda. He had dark brown hair like his mother, but scorching golden yellow eyes like his father. When the news had finally reached Bellatrix, she was only enlightened and full of victory. However, she decided to remain low and quiet for quite some time shortly after hearing the news, waiting for the perfect time almost. She wanted to build up her own little kingdom and strengthen her current soldiers to become stronger.  
The Queen of the fire began to feel dull, down and depressed as time went on. She feared that her beloved kingdom would be taken from her, she could oddly feel it. She lately just had too much on her mind and not to mention hands. One night, she disguised herself and slipped out into town and into a bar, drowning in her sorrows of everything that was going on for all the death threats and war Queen Bellatrix brought to their doors. This bar visiting became rather frequent after that one night. Months later, the king had finally found her coming home late one night, drunk as a pig and looking a mess. He knew she was out messing with other men and nearly throwing herself at them. She tried to tell him she was devoted to him for life, for that was the vows she took and had promised to keep them untouched, especially for Prince Adam. He didn’t believe her lies, however, even though she was telling the honest truth by swearing to the Gods. Since then, their relationship started to slowly crumble and there was nothing she could do to fix it.  
A year had passed and she found all sorts of letters the king had been writing to mysterious and carnal woman. He wrote to other woman in other towns far away, some even in the brothels here in Aaledda, the poor queen was heartbroken and devastated with his actions. After all the horrible things that have happened, something clicked and she knew she couldn’t take it any longer. She had taken her own life the night she found those letters. She slit her throat near a cliff and let her body fall to the sharp rocks below, her body forever lost at sea. This is exactly what Bellatrix had planned that would happen for she disguised herself as one of those women the king had conversed with. She got what she wanted; knowing her manipulation and constant threats would somehow over power the queen- she was a fragile being and Bellatrix knew it. She had broken the queen and now she was gone forever. Now that one high royalty was torn off the throne, it was time to take the other one down too.  
The news of the queen’s disappearance traveled fast throughout the kingdom. Neither the king nor anyone else knew she had killed herself. They all thought she had run far away to a land so distant from home. He knew that she had read the letters, however, because when he returned to his chambers late the same night he had found them torn and shredded, thrown all about the room. He didn’t feel guilty, nor did he care. He lost the love for his queen when she decided to go out and mess around, which to this day, he still thought was true. He did still have hope and love for his beloved son, Adam. He wanted to raise him to be the perfect king for Aaledda, better than he could have ever ruled it, better than his weak mother.  
Once Bellatrix raised stronger warriors, including a skilled thief and a few stealthy assassins, she finally could take her mischievous plan into action. She had waited very patiently for this day, months after the Queens disappearance, it was finally time. She had ordered her men to travel down into the kingdom, sneak into the castle, assassinate the king in his sleep, and steal Prince Adam from his crib. She knew by then, with the King, and the heir gone, she could take the kingdom that she so desperately wanted, for the citizens were blind and lost without royalty looking down upon them from the high towers of the castle. Unfortunately, her men partially failed. The king was assassinated easily and perfectly, yet in the end, they couldn’t find the prince. They couldn’t stay long for it would be morning soon, so instead, they left empty handed.  
When the news finally returned to Queen Bellatrix, she was infuriated. While she waited for her plan to take action, she had recruited some new comers, known as the Dryvenin. Dryvenin are those who were known as ‘dragon blood’ for dragon blood ran through their veins, they had the power and ability to transform into a dragon whenever they wanted and forever how long they wanted. Dryvenins are typically born from high and mid royalty, or are usually mutated into one with light or dark magic. The fire population had quite a lot of Dryvenin as well, so she was very excited to finally have some of her own, and soon her clan began crawling with them. She too, was a Dryvenin, but she no longer had much strength for she had a rare disease, and she couldn’t attack all on her own against many other fire Dryvenins.  
Filled with rage and anger, she sent all of them to destroy the main city where the king and queen had lived. The whole castle and town was destroyed, hardly anyone survived. She decided to remain up in the frigid ice cold mountains, for they grew on her and she was too used to the cold after being up there for so many years. A few years had passed and her army grew much stronger, little did she know that many of the fire decedents had their own hidden army growing as well


	2. Chapter 2

Jakov Hale was always the first one up in the mornings, sometimes even before the sun had kissed the land. He grabbed his special bow and some arrows then made his way out of his tent. He stretched, taking a deep breath in. The meadow smelled of pine and damp soil, which relaxed him. There was fresh dew on the lawn around the tribe’s camp. It was warm and the air was crisp, a clear sign that winter was coming to a quick end.  
He headed out west towards the infamous Rocky Mountains, hoping to catch something for breakfast in the canyon. He soon found deer foot prints and began to track the animal down. Not long after did he find a doe, grazing on some luscious shrubs. He silently took an arrow from behind his back, lined it up perfectly and held his breath. He was a skilled archer and hardly ever missed. In fact, he was one of the best in his entire tribe. Because of this special gift of his, he would often lead bigger hunts, and train all the young ones into becoming an adept archer. He let out a slow breath and let the arrow fly gracefully. It glided silently through the air in one quick smooth motion. It lunged into the doe’s side, stunning it and killing it shortly after. The poor thing didn’t even know what hit it. Jakov made his way over to the body, removed the arrow and slung it over his shoulder with little trouble.  
The male froze, hearing a branch snap behind him in the deep forest. He dropped the doe on command and quickly grabbed an arrow, lining it up to where he heard the sound come from. He narrowed his eyes, waiting very patiently as he stood frozen in a battle stance. Nothing was to be seen as a small wind picked up, making the trees dance in a nimbly way.

“BOO!” 

Jakov jumped, completely caught off guard and looked behind him, ready to release the arrow. It was Violet, his trainee. He grunted, dropping his arrow and returning it to the rest on his back.  
“Damnit, Vi. What did I tell you about sneaking up on people like that? Let alone me? This arrow could have gone right through your skull.” Jakov warned, poking the female in the forehead firmly with his index finger. The girl just giggled, jolting his hand away from her while shaking her head. She began to make her way around him. “I know you wouldn’t do such a thing, Jakov. You can’t kill me, I’m your trainee!” She grinned then glanced over suddenly, catching sight of the dead doe. “Oh! Is that breakfast!?”  
Jakov looked over his shoulder and at the ground, forgetting about the doe. “Oh, yes. That is. But not for you.” He smirked, picking it up swiftly and returning it to his shoulder. Violet pouted, jumping in front of him rather abruptly. “Jay, don’t be like that!” She roared, hands on her hips. Jakov just stood there, wearing the same smirk as he raised a brow. “Or what?”  
Violet glanced around, looking a little panicked. “Or… Or… OR! I challenge you to a duel!” She smirked, feeling like a champion. Jakov’s expression changed, looking away at the trees around them, chuckling halfheartedly. “You? You challenge me to a duel? You hardly know anything…” He stated. Her little idea amused him almost. Violet just stood there, folding her arms across her chest, her long dark violet hair flowing in the breeze that blew past them. “Heh, fine. I accept your ‘little’ duel.”  
Jakov took a step back and relaxed his muscles, getting ready. Just then there was a loud sharp cry that cut through the silence. Not a cry of pain, nor a cry for help, but a cry to warn others. It caught both Jakov and Violet off guard, both of them looking into the direction it came from as it bounced off the mountain walls, echoing into the canyon they stood in. “That didn’t sound like….” Violet began before suddenly bounding off and into the forest towards the cry. “Hey! Vi! Get back here!” Jakov called out but Violet was too stubborn and never listens when she’s curious about something. That was one out of the many things Jakov has been trying to teach her, to listen and not disobey. But what does she do? She runs towards the unfamiliar noise, or worse, right into an enemy.  
Jakov hid his kill in the thicket and bolted after her as fast as his legs could carry him, being a skilled archer came with having to be athletic, so running far and long distances was nothing to him. He would sometimes go on runs to help clear his mind. As for Violet, well, that may be a different story. She wasn’t much far ahead of him. Violet was probably the fastest in their entire tribe, which was a good thing to have for living in a kingdom full of danger. As for right now however, not the best for either of their sakes.  
There was another sharp cry that broke into the air, it sounded much closer and deadlier. “Violet!” Jakov cried out, he had finally reached the girl. He grabbed her arm and tugged her down, stopping rather harshly and falling into some marsh and leaves. “What the Hell do you think you are doing?!” He growled, catching his breath while trying to be quiet for anyone could be listening, trying to catch his breath. The female hissed, pulling her arm back from his grasp. “Someone could need our help!” She glared at her trainer. “Vi, do you not realize that that sound we heard, just now, is not a friend of ours. It’s a warning, a sign, a threat. There are outsiders here, in our territory and they could be very dangerous.” He explained, and then glanced around.  
“We could take them.” Violet snorted. Jakov shook his head, growling. “You are new to this whole thing. You honestly need to learn, and to be careful. You don’t just go out and...” Just then, they heard voices out in the distance. There was a group of males dressed in black and blue. They had beautiful giant black feathered wings, tattered crow masks that had been painted black with unusual white markings. They were very mysterious, intimidating, and very sly. They were not afraid to murder anyone, especially if their “Queen” had ordered them to do so. They stood in a meadow just outside of the forest where Jakov and Violet sat, hiding behind a fallen log. “It’s the Raxir…” Jakov whispered, swallowing hard. He had learned about them when he was a trainee himself. They indeed were very dangerous beings. He remembered that they were neither alive nor dead. They would feed off of others fear and pain, some able to grow stronger once fully fed.  
“The what?” Violet chimed in sternly. Jakov hushed the female. “Keep your voice down…” He whispered as they watched the so called Raxir curiously. The Raxir are a very rare breed of creatures. They work for Bellatrix and in return she gives them a place to live and offers them a safe haven under her wing. They are feared and hated among the kingdom, but with her, they are forever protected. They tend to thrive alone in their flock however, away from Bellatrix’s warriors. They trusted nobody and nobody could trust them, except the wretched Queen herself.

They seemed to be torturing and kicking around some poor soul. He didn’t look like he belonged to the Fire tribe. Jakov had guessed he was a loner of some sort. The loners preferred to be on their own, hence their name, but rogues on the other hand were criminals and terrifying individuals but not nearly as dangerous as the Raxir.. They were outcasted by many; even the tribes alone didn’t want them near their homelands. They were not a friendly crowd at all, and never to be messed with.  
“Please! I don’t know anything! I don’t associate myself with the tribes! You of all people should know this! I am but a loner.” The fragile man cried up to the alarming group. The leader, as it seemed to be, hunched over the poor man, his large frayed wings extended up and outwards, making him look more threatening than before. “We don’t trust the loners, just as much as we do not trust the Fire tribe. He is more likely hiding out with you sorry souls than within the Fire. We know he is out there. She knows he is out there.” He spoke, his voice ghastly and echo like, nothing in which a human might sound like, no, far from it.  
“I d-don’t know who you are talking about.” The man stammered, shivering with fear. The shrouded creature wailed impatiently in pure anger, reaching down and clamping a hand with sharp talons at the man’s neck. “The offspring! The heir! He is out there and we MUST find him. It is her final orders, find him, or choose death.” Before the destitute man could respond, the creature clawed his way through his neck, tearing his throat apart in one vicious yet swift motion. The man began choking on his blood as the creature looked disgusted at the sight. He exchanged glances with the other three before they took to the skies; their death wails and screams bounced off the mountains and disappeared into the distance. The man soon fell limp and was surely dead.  
Jakov and Violet stared in horror at the scene they had just witnessed. The both of them processing what just happened, and neither of them spoke for a long moment. Finally Jakov cleared his throat and nudged the purple haired female. “Let’s go…” His voice was dry yet soft in a calming note. 

The both of them headed back to where Jakov had left the deer and made their quick and quiet journey back to the tribe. The both of them had said nothing, for they never had experienced something so vile in their lives. 

. . .

That night, Jakov sat alone on the lookout tower at the far east end of the tribe. His mind kept focusing back at the situation from early that morning. He never heard of such tales, about the true King and Queen. He only heard few stories while growing up among the tribe. The thing about the heir the Raxir talked about, strangely bugged him, keeping him up all night. What did they want with him? Was this heir still alive and out there somewhere? He fidgeted with a medallion that hung around his neck, a golden dragon eye in the grasp of an eagle’s talons. He didn’t know what it meant. All he knew was that it had been a part of him since he was a baby. He felt different and strange. It was out of his control but something didn’t sit right in his gut after today.  
Jakov heard something at the bottom of the ladder and stirred suddenly, quickly shoving the dragon eye medallion back into his cotton shirt. He looked over and seen a familiar female step up to join him. It was Vixen, the youngest warrior in the tribe. She was nearly the last of her species, a blood elf that had the remanence of dragon blood in her veins. Her family had abandoned her at a very young age and she one day stumbled upon the Fire tribe, who welcomed her with open arms. She was very skilled and swift with a chain scythe last Jakov had remembered.  
“Mind if I join you?” Her voice was gentle, very calming. Her rare fluorescent green orbs peered into Jakov’s golden maroon ones. He blinked, hesitated as if caught in a slight draft. He cleared his throat and nodded. “No, not at all, please sit.” He lightly patted the open spot next to him on the wooden bench, offering her a warm smile. She nodded, tucking her golden hair behind one ear and looked out towards the valley that was illuminated by the full moon. “Such a beautiful land, is it not? A beautiful night too.” She spoke softly. Jakov followed her gaze slowly and nodded, smiling softly. “Hm, it is indeed.” The both of them fell silent for a while, taking in the graceful view. It had been a calm and warm night; it was the fresh start of spring after all.  
“What troubles you, dear Jakov?” She turned to face the distraught male, her silky voice full of concern. She was always the kindest and most nurturing soul in the tribe, despite her lethal actions on the battlefield. But with Jakov around, it was much more different. He glanced down to his lap to think for a moment before finally making eye contact. “I had seen Raxir early this morning.” His voice was low, not wanting any wanderers down below to hear such an alarming thought. Her expression immediately changed. “Why has thou not spoken such words to leader Kaspar?” Her brows arched up into a mixture of fright and sorrow, her full lips parting into a perfect frown. “They did not hurt you, did they, Jakov?” She asked, concerned as she gazed long the male’s body for any fresh wounds.

The male shook his head. “It was far south, nowhere near the tribe. Violet and I had seen them way past Jagged Fang Cliffs. You do not need to worry, dear Vixen.” He reassured her with a calming voice. The worry cleared from her face after hearing his allayed words and she offered him a nod. “I am glad neither you nor Violet was in harm’s way. What were they doing way out there?” She asked, puzzled. She placed her hand on top of Jakov’s which rested calmly in his lap.  
Jakov shook his head, frowning over the valley. There was a herd of dear grazing along the fresh grass, calm and at ease as they fed in peace as if nothing could ever trouble them. “They were torturing a loner, asking him something about… An heir?” He looked back at the delicate female’s face, as if searching for answers. “Asking where this heir was and that she wanted this heir.” He added.  
Vixen blinked, searching the male’s face quietly. “The heir to the rightful king.” She looked away and pulled up her hood then proceeded to place both hands into her lap lightly as if thinking. She looked as if she was hiding something which made Jakov grow curious. “Vixen? Do you know anything of this, Heir?” He asked, almost sounding desperate. She sat in silence before letting out a small sigh, shaking her head and meeting his gaze once more. “I fear that I do not, sweet Jakov.” She wore a sad smile, placing a gloved hand onto his cheek. “Do not let such things like this keep you up at night. It is out of your control. Only worry about keeping this tribe safe and fed.” She spoke softly to him. He searched her face as if she had all the answers but he just nodded and glanced down at his lap. Vixen tilted her head and smiled lightly, watching him closely. She reached up and adjusted the large feather in his hair before rising to her feet. “I will be off. Goodnight, Jakov.” Her smile grew as he looked up at her, mirroring her expression and nodded. “Thank you, Vixen. Goodnight.”


	3. Chapter 3

“Okay, now focus, Violet.” Jakov spoke on the open field not far from the tribe to his young trainee that morning. It had been two weeks since the two had seen the Raxir incident and they both did their best in putting the event behind them. Today was letting Violet have her first transition. It was about time the young female had learned how to shift into her ultimate form. “Drop all those unwanted thoughts like we talked about. Only focus on your mind, body and soul... Focus on those three things in both forms of course, or it shall not work.”  
Violet nodded and took a deep breath, relaxing as her eyes fluttered shut. She held her arms at either side of her body, visioning every part on her body to shift into something she wasn’t, at least not on the outside. She focused on her deadly claws, her shimmering scales, her strong wings, and even her powerful tail. Jakov watched and waited patiently, hoping she was using the correct strategy that she had been taught.” That’s it Violet, you’ve got this.” His voice was low yet soft, not wanting to barge into her crucial thoughts.   
The female hesitated but it was pretty normal for someone like her for shifting, for the very first time took practice, time, and especially patience, and Jakov was very patient. This moment reminded him exactly of his very first time shifting with his trainer, Theo – the older tribe leader, over seven years ago. He noticed she had been trying a little too hard as the female’s brow furrowed and she began to clench her fists only slightly. “Vi, breathe. Do not force it upon you. Patience, remember?” Jakov ordered gently as she began to grow frustrated. He knew how bad she wanted this but it took time and she couldn’t seem to wait any longer.  
She growled in dissatisfaction and dropped to her knees. “I’ll never be able to do it! I’ll never be able to shift, Jakov! I… I can’t.” She cried out, blue grey eyes brimming with tears, tears of frustration and of broken hope. Jakov frowned and made his way over to her, kneeling down in front of her as he wiped a tear from her cheek. “Do not fret, Violet. I believe in you. You do not need to push yourself so hard on your first try. It takes time and isn’t easy, trust me on that.” He offered a smile as she gazed up into his eyes, a little bit of faith sparking in her own after hearing his kind words. “Wh-what was your first time like, Jakov?” She sniffed, her expression growing cheery and suddenly curious. “Oh, please share!”  
Jakov blinked for a moment, leaning back as he gazed upon the green meadows. There was a slight cool breeze that blew past them, a song bird telling its story not far in the distance. He dove back into his memories to the day Theo was still alive and had trained him for many moons. He smiled to himself as Theo would say to him, “The dragon within isn’t going anywhere, young Jakov. When he is ready, he will ignite the valley among all others, like fire.”  
He looked back; the younger female had inched closer with curiosity. “Please, Jakov! Was it hard for you too? I bet not. You’re the most powerful in our tribe! I bet you got it down your first try.” She beamed, smiling up at him, nearly gawking as if he was her biggest hero. The male chuckled, simply rolling his eyes at her assumptions. “Actually, I was just like you.”   
Violet’s eyes sparkled with hope yet again, her grin growing bigger as she began to flourish with excitement. “Really?!”  
Jakov nodded with a reassuring smile. “Really. Now, let us try again.”  
Just then, a gray dragon with red eyes had come flying through the morning sky towards their direction, roaring in desperate need for help. It had taken a rough landing, causing a thunderous thud around them. The creature then quickly shifted. It was Lilith, the main scout of the Fire tribe. “Jakov! Jakov! Kaspar sends his aide!” She cried, running over to them, nearly collapsing face first into a bed of flowers, out of breath. Jakov and Violet rushed to her side, making sure she was okay.  
“Lilith!? You know we mustn’t shift whenever we want to! What is wrong?” Jakov exclaimed, worry washing over his face as he let the small female catch her breath. “I know, I deeply apologize, b-but… Bandits… Are in… Our lands!” She took deep breaths, pausing between few or so words. “They’re not far from camp! Leader Kaspar sends me to fetch his aide! He needs some of his strongest warriors as well!”   
Being second in command of the Fire tribe did have a very large responsibility, which might be one reason as to why Violet’s training has been taking longer usual. With Jakov as the leader’s aide, he always had to put his job first and his trainee, second. Violet’s eyes grew wide. She grinned as if happy there was a possible ambush not far from home. “Can I come!?”  
“No. You may not.” Jakov replied instantly and shot her a weary glance, his eyes stern and tone very serious. “You will stay in camp with the others.” Violet’s expression looked crushed as she frowned, her gaze dropping to the wilted flowers where Lilith had collapsed in. She said nothing more and sat in silence as the other two discussed the situation, listening closely.  
“How far? Where did you see them?” Jakov turned back to Lilith, rising to his feet, grasping the white haired female’s arms. “My scouts and I were coming back from inspecting the perimeter far south. Just as we decided to head back to camp, we came across a wagon that had caught fire. It was supposed to be delivering goods from Middlesborough with food, supplies, and medicine. We decided to go investigate and we had found bandits raiding the goods. They had killed the few who sought to deliver to our camp.”  
Jakov listened to her panicked words, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. He placed a reassuring hand on the female’s shoulder, looking into her eyes. “Calm down. Can you tell me how long ago? How many bandits are there?” He asked, trying to get as much information as he could.   
“Not more than ten minutes ago. I’m not sure, at least a dozen or more.” She explained, looking a bit frightened and exhausted to say the least.   
“Thank you. Now, let us go!”   
. . .

The three of them returned to camp as fast as they could. Jakov had ordered Lilith to take Violet to the trainee’s tent and for her to get to safety. He made his way into Kaspar’s tent alone. Inside he had found a few warriors and the knight leader, Vincent Zyrvantez, all standing in a circle and discussing the horrid situation. I dipped my head and apologized for being late. I had explained that I was teaching Violet how to finally shift; sadly it had been canceled thanks to the involuntary bandit outrage.   
“They have destroyed everything that we desperately needed. We have been waiting for that damn cart to return to us and those abominations destroyed it. Our healer, Raiden, ran out of his supplies earlier this week, and now few of the sick are hardly going to make it through the night I’m afraid.” Kaspar spoke aloud, clearly upset that something so sudden like this were to happen. He was folding his arms strongly across his chest, his jaw slightly clenched; a strand of blonde hair falling into his face as he thought long and hard.  
“Lilith said there were a dozen, maybe even more.” Jakov quickly stated, his eyes looking among the others as a few more warriors entered the tent. “They don’t seem too powerful. We could take them if we….”  
Kaspar held up his hand to silence Jakov calmly. “Orcs and warlock bandits are not quick, but they are very strong, Jakov. We mustn’t all use our other blood to fight them. You know how that ends up. And if there are more than a dozen, there are bound to be even more hiding in the mountains waiting for the right time.”   
Each time someone shifts into their other form, it drains them completely after a battle once returning to their original state. Very few are able to gain their strength back after a few days, if they’re lucky. Not everyone in the tribes can shift, only those who are born by a certain birthright have that power, like Jakov, Vixen, and few others among the camp. Besides, it would be an easier target for Bellatrix’s army to find them. Luckily, their location now has been kind to them, given the fact that they have laid pretty low to not draw much attention.  
“Perhaps a few of us could shift then, yes?” Vincent spoke up. He was always strange, dark and mysterious just like his other form. His emerald green eyes searched their leader’s face for an answer, dark hair falling to one side as he tilted his head while waiting for an answer. Vixen had entered the tent before Kaspar had the chance to answer. She silently dipped her head to her leader then silently wandered over beside Jakov.   
Kaspar’s attention fell back on the black knight, rubbing his chin with an index finger and thumb. “Are you volunteering then, Vincent?” The leader raised a brow, eyeing him closely. Jakov’s attention passed between the two as they spoke, remaining silent.  
Vincent smirked casually, examining his deadly black sword, half shrugging. “I suppose I am. Will I be taking to the skies alone then?” He asked, eyes darting between everyone else. Jakov blinked, staring at his feet as he thought for a moment. He began fidgeting with the medallion through his shirt, hesitant as the room remained silent. “I’ll join you.”   
Suddenly everyone gazed up and over at Jakov, faces filled with surprise, confusion and some with merely no expression at all as if they expected the second in command to offer as if it were a casual duty. Kaspar even looked a little surprised himself. Jakov felt a sudden hand on his forearm, a tight squeeze from Vixen who wasn’t too fond of his choice but she remained silent. He usually wasn’t the one to speak up about shifting, for he only experienced such a thing only a few times, and not for very long. Not to mention it would be his first uproar with an enemy in such form.  
“Are you sure you want to go through with this, Jakov?” Kaspar spoke up, all eyes continued to focus on the second in command. Jakov readjusted his posture and gave a stern steady nod towards his leader, eyes dancing among the rest shortly after. “I am sure, but only if necessary.”   
Kaspar grinned with a halfhearted chuckle, shaking his head, admiring his courage. “So be it.”  
. . .  
The sun was at its highest peak, minimal clouds with a slight warm breeze brushing through the needles of the dense pine trees. The group of warriors and few knights had set out to find the bandits, following the dark clouds of smoke that the fire had given off, just as Lilith had mentioned. Kaspar had agreed to stay behind. Without the camp’s leader around, some may begin to lose hope or fear for their safety. He trusted Jakov with the group however, he always did.  
The warriors were quiet, light on their feet, weapons ready for any sudden sign of attack. Jakov had his bow in hand, ready to grab an arrow if need be. Right beside him was Vincent with his sword, and at his other side, Vixen with her lethal chain scythe. The area was strangely quiet, but that didn’t stop them. The continued to draw closer to the smoke until the beaten down wagon was in full view. There were still some orcs patrolling the area, kicking around the individuals they had murdered, tearing open crates, and some even stuffing their faces with the food that rightfully belonged to the Fire tribe.   
Jakov ducked down and motioned for Vincent and his group to go around one way into a heavy thicket, while Vixen and the rest were to follow him behind a group of large boulders. Once they were all settled, they all quietly waited for Jakov’s signal. He crawled up on top of the highest boulder, making sure the rest of the group could see him. He quietly drew an arrow from his back. He lined the arrow up perfectly, aiming it at one of the bandit’s head; a very tall ugly looking orc who was reading a piece of parchment – probably orders from one of the deceased innocent individuals they had murdered.   
With one swift movement, Jakov let go of the arrow and watched it glide through the air with ease. Just as the orc had looked up, it had pierced his skull right in between the eyes. In seconds he fell to the ground; lifeless. A few other bandits around him began to look where the arrow had come from after seeing one of their men had fallen. They all reached for their weapons and drew them hastily.   
Suddenly hundreds more of them had approached the fallen wagon from the woods further behind them. This was not what any of them had expected.   
Jakov had already ducked down behind the boulder by now, motioning his arm towards the bandit site. His allies all held their weapons high and proud, yelling in unison. They began charging down the hill towards the enemy, as did Vincent’s group not long after. There were way more than a dozen. That was it then, it was time to awaken the monster deep inside.  
Jakov had set his weaponry down and hid it under some brush and grass beside the boulder he stood from. He turned and noticed Vixen had stayed back, watching him. “Vixen? What are you doing?”  
“Jakov, you don’t have to do this.” She ordered, suddenly growing really worried for him, knowing he was going to shift after seeing the enemy in numbers. “I have a bad feeling.” She swallowed, gripping her scythe. Jakov took a step towards her, their faces only inches apart. “I’ll be okay. I got this. I promise.” He reassured her as she looked down, lips pursed. “I’m counting on you. Please do not get yourself killed. We need you, Jakov.”  
Jakov sighed and looked down as well, holding her hand that clutched her weapon rather too harshly. “You as well, Vixen. I’ll make it back with you, all of you, okay? Now, go!” He ordered, letting go of her hand. She watched him with hesitation, finally backing away and quickly turning on her feet and darting off towards the battle.   
“Okay, focus, Jakov….” He relaxed his mind, body and soul. He pictured another entity, something that wasn’t him, yet entirely him all together. He called for it as he pictured it deep within his mind; a large white beast with flecks of gold. He took a deep breath, feeling the creature within clawing its way out. He groaned in sudden pain, falling on all fours. His groaning and moans were soon replaced with deep growls and sharp yowls. He watched as his fingers dug into the dirt below, soon transform into deadly claws, scales lining up his arms, his clothes disappearing entirely. He roared as wings broke out from his back; slicing his skin apart. Not long after, a large tail formed painfully behind him until he was no longer human. He felt the beast’s rage at last. It had been months since he had been in this state of mind. He stood, much larger than before, wearing nothing but the dragon eye medallion around his neck.  
He jumped up onto the boulder and let out a long thunderous battle cry. His eyes locked on the enemy, catching glimpses of familiar faces and another familiar monster; a black shadow dragon with flecks of purple and haunting emerald green eyes- Vincent.   
Jakov pushed off the rock with his powerful legs and took to the sky, gliding over to the battle field. He was more than ready to rip his teeth into the flesh of every ugly orc and warlock there was with no hesitation.


	4. Chapter 4

The white dragon soared over the battle, roaring aggressively as his frills frayed in an upward position, displaying a threatening array. He made a harsh landing, squishing a bandit by snapping his body in two like a twig. Some orcs off to the side had begun pelting arrows at the beast but their ammunition was no match for his thick scaled skin. Jakov had snapped his neck in their direction and had lunged his mouth full of sharp teeth right towards them. They cried in terror, a few in a painful quarrel from the dragon’s compelling bite.

Jakov snapped at a few more that ran his way, launching their wounded bodies through the air as if playing with them; their screams echoing vigorously. He leaned onto his back legs and sprawled his claws outwards, wings outstretched as he roared vehemently towards the crowd. He drew in a broad breath and fell forward, releasing fire from his mouth, igniting the small group of bandits into a giant flame of fear.

Once most of the bandits were taken care of he began to scout the area, seeing all sorts of physical combat going on all around him. He took notice to a female who had been backed into the side of the mountain; Vixen. Instantly, Jakov made his way over while howling threateningly at the attackers. He threw down his neck towards them, causing them to fly away and out of the female’s way. He dipped his head, his eyes watching her carefully. 

_Are you alright?_

When in dragon form, the tribes are able to communicate with one another within their minds, but only one dragon blood to another. The female panted and slid down the rock, clutching her side as she nodded. “I am fine, Jakov.” She stated, eyeing past him at a few enemies that were headed their way. Jakov quickly followed her gaze and whipped his tail towards them, knocking them down rather roughly. His attention snapped back to the blood elf, lowering his head down to her level as he examined her torso. 

_You’re bleeding._

“I’ll be fine; it’s just a few scratches, really.” She stammered, gazing up at the massive yet alluring dragon before her. She caught her reflection in his captivated eyes, seeing an injured elf staring right back. Jakov knew she was lying.

_A few scratches never would have stopped you. You need to head back to camp, get to Raiden and his team. Now._

“No, Jakov. I am needed here. You know me. I can get through this. I’m fine. The tribe needs me. You need me.” She explained, shaking her head and looking down as she tried to ignore the pain that throbbed heavily in her rib. There was a sudden war cry, catching the both of them off guard. It was a warlock, the leader perhaps, riding a giant white tiger. It had jumped from a ledge above them and landed right onto Jakov’s back, the tiger’s massive claws digging right through his scaled armor and sunk deep into both of his shoulders. He snarled, howling in pain as he tried throwing the smaller beast off. “Jakov!”

The white dragon wailed while he thrashed and jumped, arching his back to try and pry the feline from him. Blood began to seep down his arms from the fresh wounds where the tiger’s claws had penetrated the skin, sinking further.

Vixen stood and grabbed her scythe, instantly forgetting about pain as rage soon took over. She quickly climbed up a nearby tree and launched herself at the three, landing on the back of the tiger. The elf yelled in pure anguish, moving her arm around the warlock and shoving her scythe right into his chest. He cried out, reaching up and behind him, tearing her off his mount with powerful strength. He brought her around front and grabbed her by the throat, easily choking her, all while Jakov continued to thrash and maul around. 

Before the warlock had even a chance to break the elf’s neck, a sudden axe had made its way through the air and deep into the back of his skull, causing him to fall limp. He fell to the ground with Vixen along with him. Finally, Jakov reached back and bit deep into the back of the feline’s neck, locking his jaw in place. The creature yowled in agony and managed to pull his claws out of the dragon’s shoulders with minimal effort, falling to the ground with its rider. Jakov cried out in pain, blood was now pouring down to his feet. He looked to the dead warlock, noticing the axe. He recognized the rose thorn weapon anywhere. He quickly flipped around to see a familiar face staring up at him in fear.

_Violet!? I told you to stay at camp!_

“I just can’t stay back and let you fight alone! Besides, you’re hurt!” She cried out, reaching down and releasing her axe from the warlock.

_Are you crazy!? You are going to get yourself killed! Do not worry about me! I’ll b-_

A huge force knocked right into Jakov, putting an abrupt pause on his words. He tumbled and contorted down a small hill along with…. another dragon. He found himself pinned, a grayish white dragon with blue horns and claws snarling down at him. Its horns were perfectly curled around its face as it snarled viciously, saliva dripping from the teeth almost in a hungry manner. Jakov, however, was more concentrated on its eyes- eyes that were like a fiery pit of doom. Those orbs, they look oddly familiar…  
Jakov snapped his jaws towards it, only to find his neck being pinned by its dominant front feet. It quickly lost interest in his struggles and froze, staring at the medallion that hung around his neck with a disturbed glare. 

_I know that sigil anywhere._

It was a female’s voice, a cold voice full of dread. Jakov glanced down at the dragon eye that she was so mesmerized by. He snarled and forced his deadly claws up into her face, causing her to fall back and growl in frustration. He quickly tumbled away and got back onto his feet. He stood in a perfect stance, ready to launch himself at her if need be. He bared his teeth at the monstrous creature, making himself look bigger and more threatening. 

“Jakov!” Violet had squealed from the top of the hill, gazing down at the two beasts in battle. His attention cracked up towards her. She stood as if ready to interfere, both axes held tightly in both of her hands. Violet no! Get back to camp! Get to safety and take Vixen with you!

_But Jakov…_

_Violet, do as I say. Go, NOW!_

The female jumped from his harsh tone. She looked absolutely frightened and very worried about her mentor. Without another word and after a short moment of hesitation, she turned away and darted out of sight. Jakov didn’t know what might happen to him, but he didn’t care; at least he knew both Violet and Vixen were headed to safety. His attention quickly looked back to the mysterious dragon that snarled right at him. 

_What do you know of… my medallion?_

The female laughed maliciously, throwing her massive head back with a strong roar.

_You are the one who wears it and yet you have no idea what it means? You’re asking an Ice dragon this question? Believe me you don’t want the answer to that._

Jakov narrowed his eyes, listening to her icy tone. He knew she had belonged to the Ice tribe the second she had him pinned. Even if her cold gaze didn’t give it away, her attitude surely did. There was a whole reason they were known as the Ice Tribe.

_And why is that?_

Her expression grew serious for a short moment before she grinned devilishly.

_Because if I tell you, I’ll have to kill you._

Jakov was not fazed by her threatening words. Instead he quickly shook his head from side to side and clawed at the ground. He pushed his wings to the sky, letting a deadly roar escape him in a hazardous manner. She didn’t seem too thrilled about his reaction, hoping he might have cowered in fear, but not Jakov, he wasn’t like that. He never was, and he never will be. The female clawed at the ground in a combative way and broke into a run, charging directly at him. Jakov prepared himself for whatever was to happen. If death would take him before nightfall, then so be it.

A much larger dragon charged into her, causing the both of them to tumble away as dirt kicked up everywhere. The dragon regained his balance and opened his wings, howling at her to back off- It was Vincent. 

_Leave this place at once, Teryani or I’ll rip your throat out and send word to your “Queen” that you have been disobeying orders._

His voice was intrusive and chilling, letting her know how serious he truly was. The female lay on her side, yowling in disapproval as she struggled to her feet. 

_Always barging into everyone else’s’ fights aren’t you, Vincent? Incapable of your own?_

Vincent snarled contentiously and jumped forward, baring his malignant teeth her way. Teryani offered a quick and delicate cry then pushed off the ground, flying up into the skies until she was out of sight behind the mountains.

Jakov watched as Vincent’s anger diminished into immediate woe and concern. He relaxed his large tattered wings and turned to the injured male, examining the fresh cuts and deep wounds on his shoulders from the tiger attack. He himself carried his own defects as well, but nothing as nasty as Jakov’s. 

_We must go now. I had sent Violet and Vixen back to camp with the rest. We were able to retrieve little supplies that were left, but I’m afraid it isn’t much. Are you able to make it there on your own?_

Jakov’s attention now returned to the aggravating pain in his shoulders, the few scratches Teryani had marked on him didn’t matter now.

_I… I don’t know._

He began to feel weak as he relaxed his mind, slowly shifting back into his original form. He collapsed on the ground and took a deep breath, his wounds were too great. Vincent, who was now a hundred more times Jakov’s size, leaned down and nudged him gently.

_Can you climb on my back? I’ll fly you back to camp. It’ll be much quicker and we can get you to Raiden sooner than ever._

Jakov didn’t respond, only groaned softly. The pain from the tiger attack and the brawl with the Ice dragon took its toll; he began to feel very weak. His vision began to blacken and go fuzzy, unable to process words right. Vincent heaved him up onto his back, being extra careful. One wrong move and he could seriously injure the small human greatly.

 

_Hold on Jakov, I’m getting you back home… alive._


End file.
